Associate Members and Partners

The RRCA works in partnership with several organizations in addition to our running club and event members to help promote running as a sport and healthy, physical activity. We are proud to call the following organizations our strategic partners and associate members.

The International Institute for Race Medicine (IIRM) has been established to act as a resource for all medical professionals, including: physicians, nurses, physical therapists, athletic trainers, EMS personnel, physician assistants, and others who work or volunteer at marathons, half marathons, 10K, triathlons and charity runs. Educational programs highlighting proven medical standards and protocols; operational planning and logistics for all types of distance events; development and coordination of research projects that will improve our standards of care; and act as a clearing house for all events and medical professionals involved in the care of athletes who are involved in road races. Learn more about this partner.

The National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) has a vision: one day, all Americans will be physically active and they will live, work, and play in environments that facilitate regular physical activity. The NPAP is a comprehensive set of policies, programs, and initiatives that aim to increase physical activity in all segments of the American population. The NPAP is the product of a private-public sector collaborative. Hundreds of organizations are working together to change our communities in ways that will enable every American to be sufficiently physically active. The NPAP aims to create a national culture that supports physically active lifestyles. Its ultimate purpose is to improve health, prevent disease and disability, and enhance quality of life. Learn more about this partner.

The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation is a CEO-led organization, is a national, multi-year effort designed to help reduce obesity–especially childhood obesity–by 2015. It’s a first-of-its kind coalition that brings together more than 140 retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, restaurants, sporting goods and insurance companies, trade associations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and professional sports organizations. The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation promotes ways to help people achieve a healthy weight through energy balance–calories in and calories out. It focuses on three critical areas–the marketplace, the workplace and schools. The RRCA is an “energy-out” partner with the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation. Learn more about this partner.

The National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS) comprises the who’s who in the youth sports industry. Founded in 1979, the National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS) membership represents more than 185 organizations/corporations serving more than 60,000,000 registered participants / 44,000,000 actual boys and girls participating in organized youth sports programs. The NCYS is well-known for advocacy in promoting safe environments and healthy lifestyles for stronger neighborhoods and communities. Learn more about this partner.

Bring Back the Mile - No running distance, or field event for that matter, has the history, the appeal, the “magic” of the Mile. The Mile, like the 100 meters and the marathon, is a running event that most Americans know something about or have a general feeling for, and thus, there is a built-in awareness of and audience for the Mile. In America, the Mile – lower and upper case – is deeply embedded in our culture and history. We are one of the few countries in the world that still uses the mile as a distance measurement, and thus, as a centuries old result, Americans think, speak and relate in miles not kilometers (“How many miles did you run today?”, “I averaged five-minute miles in my race”, etc.). In short, Americans “get” the Mile not the 1500 meters. Because the 1500 meters, or worse, the misfit 1600 meters at the high school level, do not have the same historical significance and cultural, media and promotional value as the Mile. There is no 1500 meter equivalent to Roger Bannister’s historic and still revered first sub-4 minute Mile; put simply, the Mile is iconic, classic and timeless. America understands the mystique of the Mile, particularly the sub-4 minute Mile. It is time we Bring Back the Mile, America’s Distance! Join the Movement.